Can you get an epidural with a full back tattoo?

Can you get an epidural if you have a full back tattoo!? I was told by a friend I probably couldn’t, and then googled it, and I’m getting both answers. It said something about it pushing the ink into your spine, and that they have to find skin without ink. When I say I have a “full back,” I mean, it’s all colored! I’m scared outta my mind now. I know I’d be fine without the drugs, but I’d really like to have an epidural if at all possible.

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call your ob and get a definite answer, it may be different with every doctor

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I have back tattoos and I got a epidural

i did :woman_shrugging: mine didn’t work but i got one in my tattoo lol

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Depends on your anesthesiologist. Some will some wont. You can call your ob and find out

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Tattoos have ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with epidurals

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I’d call and ask your dr but if you can you can ask about a saddle block I had one with my very first

Find out who your anesthesiologist would be and call their office. Since they are the specialist performing the epidural they will give you the most concrete answer, your OB’s office probably won’t know or give you the correct answer.

I know that once a tattoo heals the ink is bonded to the cells of your skin and the type of needle they use for epidurals won’t mobilize any fragments of skin or in your case ink once it’s inserted.

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Just discuss it with your doctor, some doctors/hospitals have different policies. Honestly though, I’ve had kids with epidurals and without. It’s not the worst thing in the world without :woman_shrugging:

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I got one took 3 times but I got one. Lol

I didn’t have the time to get an epidural with my son. If you aren’t able to get it, it’s not that bad without it.

That’s something your doctor needs to determine plus how old the tattoo is etc. and the anesthesiologist

I have a back tattoo and have had two epidurals

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Speak to your doc and they will tell you. Google isn’t always right and anyone who isn’t a medical professional wouldn’t know for sure

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I have a full back one and had an epidural and spinal tap

Honestly I wouldn’t recommend epidural in general look up the side effects they are very long-term.

They have other pain management options of work just as well

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Yes lol, a tattoo has 0 effect on you getting an epidural.

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I did…but it did cause a bit of a problem with him trying to find the right spot. I think he poked me 4 times, and I was in full blown labor by the time he finished😕

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Ask your dr. FB is not a good place to get medical advice.

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I did!!! There was no problem. It’s not my whole back but parts of my back and my whole spine

My ob said the only reason they say they’d rather have clear skin is because it’s easier for them to see where they need to insert it. I have a back tattoo and they did mine without issue.

I’m pretty sure If the anesthesiologist can’t find the correct spot with or without a tattoo, ya might want to request someone else.

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my lower back is covered and i had no issues with my epidural. i have a friend with no tattoos and she had to get 2 epidurals. guess just depends on a lot of things but tattoos are not one of them.

An anesthesiologist knows the spine well enough to do it with their eyes closed most the time.
You’re good.
FYI I’ve had 2 and they both were amazing for relief at the end and I didn’t have any side effects.

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Why wouldn’t you be able too…

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Why wouldn’t you be able to? I have a lower back tattoo and I have had two spinal blocks and one epidural. No issues.

The two are mutually exclusive

Why would having a tattoo matter?

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I have a full back tattoo had 3 epidurals and 5 back surgeries no issues with ink

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If i were you I wouldn’t get an epidural…tattoo or not.

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Epidurals are a scam for labor. I regret having one. The lady who did mine was amazing and did a great job but it wasnt worth the little relief I got. The guy who did it for my csection was awful, he poked my spine 6 time and it was a no go. Had to be put under general anesthesia.

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I did with no problem…

Epidurals increase the risk of complications and can stall labor. Might be a blessing in disguise. With mine, it didn’t work all the way, kept wearing off on one side and the doctor was kind of a jerk about it, it was like he had a hard time believing me. It stalled my labor so I was stuck in bed for a day and a half like that. And then I had a fever from it so had to take iv antibiotics. And then I had back problems for months. All because of the epidural.

I dont have a full back piece but i do have a back tat they went right through it

Every mommy has a choice. :heart_eyes: However, a drug free birth is not as bad as one thinks. I promise. :heart: A lot of women I’ve talked to said they wished they had not gotten an epidural. I have given birth 4 times and each time was natural. Our bodies were designed to do this! However, if you do get one, I genuinely don’t think a tattoo is going to stop the epidural. :heart: Best of luck to you!

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You can still get an epidural with a full color back tattoo.

I wouldn’t get an epidural if I were you, they can cause so many back problems. Labor and delivery really arent as bad as people say. Tbh if you can sit for a full back tat you can have a baby without an epidural lol.

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They didn’t give me an issue

I’m going to assume you’re a badass if you could handle a full coverage tattoo. If you can’t get an epidural channel whatever baddass goddess you did during that tattoo! Congrats on your little bub!!

Yup you can. I have one

My name is Cat ,I’m the owner of Catland Tattoo. I’ve been doing this for over 30yr and I Say Yes you can !!!

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I would honestly talk to your doctor. I had one with each child. The first was great. My second was absolutely terrible I was stuck 5 or 6 times wasn’t given the option to stop. I wanted them to quit so bad. Now my back is messed up. The second one wasn’t near as effective as the first and if I knew that I would have never got one. My oldest is almost 10 and the epidural they had then was way different than now.

Any of yall saying its scam, tell that to my body when I was preeclamptic. BP meds didnt work. I was near seizure or stroke.
Epidural medication is a vasodilator, aka it lowered my bp and kept it there.

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Just don’t get an epidural then? :woman_shrugging:

I did drug free it was the best

It just depends on your anesthesiologist really. They have to be comfortable giving it over your back tat.

You should be able to hun, but I would talk to my dr or even call the hospital I’ll be delivering at and talk to a l&d nurse

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Listen the internet will tell you you’re dying and you’re head is gonna fall off when all you have is an ear infection. Call your doctor

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I have mild scoliosis and was told that epidurals are not recommended but my scoliosis isn’t in the same spot as where the epi goes in. It didn’t create any issues other than it took more tries to get it placed. Painful, yes but other than that, no issues. Good luck mama!

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You’re fine Momma. Urban myth :slight_smile:

To each their own but I am very thankful for my epidurals. Epidurals do not cause chronic back pain. Research it, there is no evidence to support this claim.

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I had an epidural and it didn’t work plus I heard that epidurals can cause back problems later on wish I never got one

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I have a full back tattoo and I had an epidural twice

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I don’t have a full back tat, but it is on my lower spine. The docs put the epidural right in my tat.

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You’re best to ask the anesthesiologist or even your doctor. No one here can answer that question except for the person doing the epidural.

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I have a tattoo on my lower back & had an emergency c section, had a spinal…as in ANY emergency, having a tattoo is NOT a reason to withhold medical treatment

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I wouldnt even get an epidural NOT WORTH IT. I had 4 without it no problem and thought I would try it with 5th one my back will never be the same I wish I had never done it just my experience

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I have a lower back tattoo and they did it right in it

I don’t think so but shittttttt that epidural had me feeling wonderful only problem is you can’t feel your body enough to really push and you can’t stand after :sob:

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Your tattoo will not affect your ability to get an epidural :joy:

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Man I never got I one for 2 reasons labours are rapid and my fear of needless I was fine with IV but the thought of one in my back always scared me I’m an adult who has gotten piercings and want tattoos but can look at a damn doc needle without flipping and extreme anxiety lol but tattoo should be fine

I don’t have a full back tattoo, but I do have a full spinal tattoo and I was able to get an epidural

Definitely get the epidural! A true life savor. And I’ve had 2 and never had any back problems. Don’t listen to anyone, do what ya want!

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Yes you can still gave an epidural.

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Why do people think this is funny?

Yes should be able to
I have a back tattoo and was given an epidural with each of my boys births

Depends on dr, and if its metallic based ink

I don’t think having a back tattoo will have any effect on being able to get an epidural. They have to feel your spine. I’ve had two and they are helpful. Like people have said above it does make it a little harder to push but you can still do it. You also can’t go off of other people’s stories because everyone is different. My first epidural worked great and I had no problems. When I had my second on Wednesday it was only numbing my left side and I had to lay on my right side for a long time to get it to work but it still worked.

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Dont do the epidural, in my case they caused more damage than good

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Girl, just have it naturally or C-section.
May be T.M.I, but when I had my son naturally, it literally just felt like I was trying to poop. :poop:

Yes. Tattoos don’t effect it. I have two huge pieces on my back and I had epidurals with both of my kids

I vote no epidural. My back still has issues. Not a tattoo on my body

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Epidurals are started based on palpating. Not visually. Tattoo won’t matter.

Yes I just had a baby and my whole back is done. They will tell you that they can’t promise it won’t effect the coloring a little in that spot though.

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Yes you can. I did when I had my oldest and I had a tattoo right where they put the needle for the epidural

Yes, you can. It’s not based off of what color your skin is. It’s about placement of the needle.

You can do without though. I have had 2 kids with and 2 kids without an epidural.

1st child it took wonderfully.
3rd child it wouldn’t work correctly.
2nd child I did without any pain meds. It was a better recovery experience.
4th child the IV pain medication only helped the first dose.

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1st child iv meds
2nd I was induced and iv meds never helped as I’m highly allergic to morphine so I couldn’t have it at all so they used something else for the iv meds

Make sure the sources are evidence-based. I recommend the epidural if it’s your plan.

you can still get it, if needed. i had my son 8 months ago and still have really bad back problems from it though

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I also vote no epidural because I have terrible back pain from it & plus, it didn’t even work! When I gave birth without any meds, I never felt better after birth. It also allows you to literally feel everything and to respond the way your body was supposed to. For example, You don’t need someone to tell you to push because your body already responds.

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My back is entirely covered, I’ve had 2 epidurals

Tattoos have no effect on it. But do your research. I had my epidural over 3 years ago and it still causes me problems.

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You’ll be fine without the epidural. Plus you can request intravenous drugs if you need. I did it 4 times.

First kid I did it without any thing. With my second they had to induce me because my water broke and my contractions didn’t start, the pain was a lot worse and my body was beat after 12 hours so we opted for the epidural, my son was born like a half an hour later. I’d honestly much rather have not had an epidural if I could have helped it.

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Off topic I was told my epidural might not work cause I have spina bifida so they had to administer it higher up, but the minute it when in I was out like a light lol. They induced me and I heard they can make contractions worse and omg it was a 10 on the pain scale. That epidural was a god send

I have a back tattoo and got the epidural so :woman_shrugging:t2:

I have a full back tattoo and got mine just fine. They feel for the spot more than looking.

She asked about getting an epidural with a tattoo, she didn’t ask for anyone to scare her out of getting one based on their experience

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They literally fill your spine to find the right spot. They do use a pen or marker to mark it usually before they go for it. Also some people don’t have a choice with an epidural! I had to have three spinal catheters for c sections

I had both of my kids without an epidural. Honestly id do it all over again with no epidural. Its not as bad as it seems. I didnt even have pain medicine in my IV.

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I am gonna say yes, because I did.

How about ask your damn doctor

I got 1 and my back is covered from my neck to the top of my butt

Good question for your doctor.

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I would do without the epidural tattoo it no tattoo. To me it’s not worth the risk to your spine to get one since going material is so much safer and once baby is out there pain is gone but with the epidural you could have life long problems

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Id say are u comfortable with maybe getting the ink in ur spine? I dont think its a good idea. But im sure they allow it.

I have a back tattoo, had two healthy babies with 2 epidurals. U will be fine

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My doctors never said that u couldn’t if I had a full back tattoo(i dont) but I asked these questions prior to them knowing that. Plus I have cousins who have full back tats who got an epidural so I dont know if it jus certain doctors maybe

I see why not. Its not new ink getting into your blood stream.

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Have a talk with your doctor and ask if you can have a meeting with one of the anesthesiologists who places epidurals. They will be able to tell you for certain if there are actually increased risks.

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